Eskimo Pistol Bit VS Strikemaster Lite Flite
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- Опубліковано 4 лют 2025
- Head to head match up between the 2 newest ice drill augers. Strikemaster Lite Flite and Eskimo Pistol Bit. Links to products below:
Eskimo Pistol Bit: amzn.to/36b4FWK
Strikemaster Lite Flite: amzn.to/2MJKwQ3
Ridgid 1/2 Octane Hammer Drill: amzn.to/38ABQnh
Very well put together video! I am extremely happy with my pistol bit. Was running it with a Milwaukee drill but switched to the M18 Mud Mixer with 9ah battery and it has been phenomenal.
Lots of great options right now. Thanks
Tyler Sabelko what do you like better about the mixer
@@Samsworthwatching The mixers gearing is built heavier than the m18 drills. In my experience the mixer has been capable of drilling more holes because it doesn't have to work as hard as a drill would. The handles on the mixer are also more ergonomic because they are at the same height and are adjustable 180 degrees.
I like the Eskimo better by just watching you drilled
Contact Strikemaster for the new replacement drill adapter for the Strikemaster Lite Flight bit. It eliminates the wobble, the bolt coming loose, the drill chuck coming loose. And they sent it to me for free! Makes the
I just bought the Eskimo 8” Pistol Bit today, I went with the Milwaukee FUEL 1,200 inch pound Hammer Drill (Just ordered it today as well from Amazon). I’m looking forward to Ice fishing soon! Thank you for the Video 👍
You will be very happy with that setup. Thanks for watching.
I thought the Strikemaster looked a little taller when I got mine that was the first thing I noticed when I took it out of the box. Since I’m short that concerns me but we still don’t have ice to try it out here. I’ve ran a Kdrill for a couple years and have been pleased with it but I thought I’d get the Lite Flite to try it but after this video I wish I would of went with the Pistol Bit. Plus I use 6” augers not 8” so the weight savings and the speed of that Pistol Bit in a 6” would be impressive. Great vid !!
I think you'll like your SM too. Thanks
I own last years Pistol Bit (without the tip) and the new Strikemaster and completely agree with your review. The Strikemaster cuts faster but not as smoothly. Pistol bit is lighter, easier to use and the speed difference is minimal. Pistol Bit seems easier on the drill too. Strikemaster is just a little too aggressive. I'm also having the problem with that bolt coming loose, even after blue Loctite. Think I'll try your longer bolt with a lockwasher idea along with some red Loctite and we'll see what happens. Overall I would definitely recommend the Pistol Bit over the Strikemaster.
My 6inch had the same problem with the bolt coming loose I just put some blue thread locker on it and it hasn’t come loose since...
It wobbled on me first use also so put a couple of dabs of hot glue on the shaft and shove the adapter in then torqued it down plus on the flange. Got rid of the wobble
Thanks for the video & taking the time to do the comparisons. I just bought the 8 inch eskimo with center point. and I also picked up the Milwaukee Fuel m18 w/ 5 amp batteries. Hopefully theyre a good match for one another as Im all out of elbow grease in my so called "younger years"
Your will be very happy with it. Thanks
How did it work out for you? I just bought the same drill kit you’re talking about and planning on getting the 8” pistol bit. Does the drill handle it well? Get a fair amount of holes with the 5ah battery?
Great comparison. I watched your reviews from last year. This year I bit the bullet on the Eskimo Pistol Bit and i absolutely love it. Definitely was a big improvement adding the centering point. But I think these 2 are pretty darn close in comparison and I think with either one you'll be good to go. But I'm very happy with my pistol bit and have no regrets in my choice. Thanks for the review 👍
Thanks for the comments. I agree, very close comparison.
I added a claim drill plate this year because last year the dewalt chuck broke I have 4 4ah batteries so I can camp out for 2 days in the mountains
To fix the wobble on the Strikemaster I took out the existing bolt and put in an 8mmX50mm 1.25(course) thread bolt and double nutted it. Should finally be the end of that problem.
Eskimo is my favorite. Glad I watched your video I'll be going with the lighter better built Eskimo. Can't wait. New subscriber here😃
Thanks for watching
What speed setting is the drill in? 1 or 2? and what is your clutch setting?
I was actually wondering what model rigid you use, is it the octane or non octane model? I have the non octane, I bought it and the following year of course they came out with the octane, so I'm hoping mine will be good enough this.
Dear friend, how does it drill in ice, ice and water and it is very cold like him?
Was Wondering If You Would Do A Comparison With The New K-Drill Now That They Have An 8.5 Inch? Love Your Video's Keep Them Coming!!!
Awesome review. I am going to get the bolt, lock washer and nylon nut setup for my setup if mine keeps coming loose after I have torqued it down. So far after more than 35 holes it still hasn't came loose. Thanks for your video!
Thanks!
You think the ion turbo blades will fit the pistol bit as replacement blades?
Pistol bit will go on an ion power head also
Don’t the Eskimo use the ion blades ?
I believe eskimo makes ion
A piece of 3/4" cpvc will fix the shaft wobble on the lite flite. I just got mine and it's great drilled 20 plus holes and battery didn't even drop one bar. Milwaukee 2804 20drill with 5ah battery.
I had all three. Sold the k drill and pistol. Sorry pistol was a little late on the tip but it’s advantage for me was lightweight. The strikemaster is heavier and wobbles on the adapter.
Yep I agree
DTroFishOn did you get an extended hex bolt and nut for the strikemaster adapter? Notice it
@@calterry yes I did
Having the ability to put the strikemaster onto a power head was the seller for me..I'm not worried about 2lbs...
Tombari Outdoors it is a plus. But I only have power drill
What is. The Eskimo auger made of?
How long was the bolt you had to get for the lite flite? Don’t want to make a second trip to the hardware store. Thanks in advance.
Here is a good idea for your next video compare blade freeze up in a cold day see which ones will hold longer before you can no longer drill
Had my pistol bit out in single digits and never had a problem with it not drilling the whole day.
Madsen Outdoors thanks. Ion has a serious freezing problem
Roland Kovalenoks I have no issues with my Ion.
Center points sucks on freezing days !!! Pistol Bit with no center piece and NILS is king ! 🔥🔥🔥🔥💪🏽
Speaking about auger extensions, what is everyone using to extend the bore of a 8” hand auger. I have only found power auger extensions that are to big
I'm jealous! We had 4" of ice in central Iowa three weeks ago, all gone now of course. Just bought a new Eskimo outbreak 450i shack, All dressed up with nowhere to go. 😥
Yeah that sucks. :( Hopefully it will get colder for you.
How much down pressure are you putting on these? Just tried my Eskimo pistol bit today and I’m not that impressed. Seemed to take a decent amount of pressure to get it to cut.
You might have detective blades. You shouldn't need much down pressure at all.
@@3RiversFishingAdventures ok. I have an extra set of blades. Maybe I’ll swap them out and try it again tomorrow. Great videos and reviews BTW!
@@tgunz64 did the blades come with the auger? If so then yes replace them. Eskimo had an issue with blades and threw in an extra set.
@@3RiversFishingAdventures no it did not come with an extra set. I bought an extra set to have on hand. Now I’m thinking of just buying the strikemaster 24 volt.
Also I was talking with my cousin tonight and he has the lite flite. Said the blades were bad on his. Strikemaster sent him a new set and now he said it cuts great.
Do you run that Ridgid with the OEM batteries or are yours upgraded?
OEM 9ah
Wow man Im about sold. I keep telling my buddy the auger and hub hut are totally holding us back. Time for a flip and a pistol auger.
Is this the setup you thoroughly recommend, your drill and that pistol bit?
@@ripptydevibes2581 as of right now, yes. Good luck!
I want to add that the pistol will be able to drill more holes vs the lite. I still have last years version of the pistol and It’s still in great condition and works just like how it did last year out of the box.
Please tell me again what you did to eliminate the wobble on the StrikeMaster??
A longer bolt with a lock washer and nylon lock nut on the backside.
Put a little loctite on the screw is all you need to do.
9 inch would be perfect for every app! Wish they would do that a long time ago
I have the same rigid drill. What setting do you use? Mine keeps stopping due to overheating. Can't even get through one hole.
Speed setting 1 and set to the "drill" mode. Also make sure you have at least a 5ah battery or bigger.
what keeps the drill chuck tight or safety backup so the auger doesn't disappear down the hole?
The big disc on the top is wider than the auger so it won't fit down the hole.
Hey question, what kind of gloves are you wearing? Neoprene? If so what brand?
Striker Stealth
I prefer the strikmaster. I tried both and the strikmaster was super smooth for me after I got the adapter fixed. The Eskimo I tried did not have the center point though
Good review. Not sure whats up with the adaptor play?? Mine did it on the first time out, but has been 100% tight since I retightened it another 1/4 turn. And im surprised SM went with a steel hex shaft, the pistol is aluminum. Im not complaining about 5.3 lbs, but figured they'd go aluminum!
I think they both work great. I'm interested in trying an ion 10" after watching your video.
DTroFishOn it’s worth a try! It would probably be fine!
@@precisionanglingYT reason being is that the Ion 10" is only 7lbs. Almost the same weight as the 8" Lite Flite.
Probably went with a steel shaft so they could be used with the power augers head
You are 100% right about the k-drill...I had one and it would drain my Milwaukee Fuel 9ah batterys very quickly..so I sold it and got the lite flite..and a 10"40v
did you try the clam plate and auger that it comes with, or get the clam plate and put an 8 inch auger on it? That's my favorite setup.
I have a clam plate on my strikemaster
Your gloves look awesome? What gloves are they? And are they waterproof? Thanks
Striker Stealth. They are great gloves. They work with smart screens and yes mostly waterproof.
I have a 8 incher Eskimo and mine does not drill like the one you had there, I had to put in alot of pressure and it sucks, ant tips? Mine is brand new out of the box and I have that issue.
Xao, there have been some issues with the blades. Check to see if they sent you a spare set in the box, if so change the blades. I've been seeing lots of problems like this and the new blades fixes it.
@@3RiversFishingAdventures yeah but you shouldn't have to
I had the same loosening problem I tourqed on the bolt real good and never cam loose again
Do you work for eskimo you seemed pretty biased from the start. Also other than weight what is the advantage of this route by the time you buy the drill and auger you could buy an ion or one of the other electric augers
I don't work for any of them. I use a drill for a lot of things around the house. Why wouldn't I take advantage using that drill for ice fishing too? I gave my honest opinion. No bias. Take it or leave it. I don't care.
Kde koupit?
typical fisherman.. thought 3" was 6"
lol
I had the same issue with my strikemaster lite flite and put some loc tite on the threads of the factory bolt and hasn’t come loose since
Yep there are fixes for sure, but a guy shouldn't have to do that. It should come ready to go out of the box.
I hear ya
You gonna fish those 20 holes afterwards?
Ofc gotta hole hop cant jus stay 1 spot
can you compare the strike master to the k drill
i would like a 9'' hole if they would make it. To me that is the perfect size, and like you said the drill has no problem turning them,
I just got the lite flite but have not had a chance to use it yet (still waiting for ice, ugh!) The adapter sure seems tight to me right out of the box. I appreciate you demonstrating your solution in case it loosens. I don’t know if you mentioned but I would use a stainless bolt. The SM shaft is steel. Not sure if it’s stainless. Don’t want that bolt rusting in there (or maybe we do to keep it tight, haha.) Thanks.
Thanks! Yes I would recommend a stainless for sure, but I was unable to find a metric stainless nylon nut combo at my hardware store. The majority of people I've spoken to have had the wobble issue.
Just use blue loctite on the bolt when installing and you will be fine..
He installed it wrong
Hi DTroFishOn! Thanks for sharing these vids!!
Since the replacement blades for the Lite Flite cost almost double the Pistol Bit, I was wondering which blades last the longest?
Thanks Chivan. I can't speak for blade longevity, but doubt that the SM blades will last twice as long as the Eskimo. They are both great and not a bad choice going with either.
Eskimo blades are going to wear out much faster as they are just hand auger blades my lite flite is still at factory sharpness after 2 years
one thing he forgot to mention though, kdrill has lifetime warranty/sharping on their blades($3 to ship them). Rest do not($40 for new blades a year on average). Yes rest are faster(by about 1-3 second on 24 inches of ice). I can't believe it took strikemaster this long to come out with this, they already made one on the Strike-Lit motor(solo) , i owned one and loved the 4 stroke but the blades were very hard to find.
By the time you buy the drill and auger why not just by the new strikemaster 40v
Because the SM can't drill my ice anchors in or drive screws in the off season.
I just got the pistol and drill setup from your links. I went outback on the creek and the unit will only drill about 3" before battery cutout. Both fresh charged batteries do the same thing on both hammer and drill modes with the speed/torque on level 1 "high torque" as if the drill is not powerful enough . Any ideas?
What size battery? The drill should be on speed 1 and also set to "drill" mode on the side.
I bought the eskimo pistol bit and it would only spin on the ice. The blades were angled wrong so they wouldn't engage!!! I took it back to Murdochs and they said this is the third one that has come back!!!!
Has anyone else had this problem??
Yes, I have read about this elsewhere too. Eskimo has been putting extra blades in the box to switch out.
Stiker blades are probably more efficient but cost twice as much! Traditional shavers are almost as good, easy to sharpen 👍
Please add to the test the HT e-drill !!
Strikemaster flighting is semi flexible, which could be a huge plus. Can't go wrong either way.
Great video man.!!!
Thank you.,!!!
Don’t know what your problem with the Strikemaster was, but mine cuts like butter. Doesn’t catch at all. Blue loctite on the screw in the adapter fixes that issue. Plus the Strikesmaster is heavier BECAUSE you can use it with a power head. Eskimo wouldn’t survive it.
Check out uncut Angling new video..they drill proly way over 100 double holes with the liteflite with the 40v ua-cam.com/video/eVBP9mdew-8/v-deo.html
Not sure where I said I had a problem with it. Both are great. I gave my opinion on which one has a slight edge. I prefer the lighter auger and smoother cut.
Yes yes yes build a 9"!
I am having wobble problems to after 7 holes I couldn't even make a hole through the ice, really frustrating after spending all this money, I hope what you did helps me, but not impressed, should be ready out of the box.
Yes I agree. What is frustrating is knowing how big of a company Rapala/Strikemaster is and how many Field Staff they employ who should have/could have identified this as a potential problem last year when they were testing it. Maybe they did and it was ignored, either way, it's kind of disappointing.
@@3RiversFishingAdventures Do you think just tightening it will help or should I go out and get those washers etc. Thanks
@@redsox1025 It sure didn't help for me. I had to get the longer bolt, then added both a lock washer and a nylon lock nut backside and torqued the piss out of it. But that's just my experience.
@@3RiversFishingAdventures I do not need some sort of special adapter to use the lite flite with my m18 do I it should be good to go out of the box? Still having problems going to return it and possibly get something else...thanks
Put some loctite on it. Easy fix.
Strikemaster a bit faster, especially on hard early season ice. The K-Drill is obsolete.
Kdrill has chipper blades that can reopen holes and does better on dirty ice that has sand mixed in. It can do everything these can do, and more.
Grant apparently you haven’t tried to reopen holes with either of these. They work better. The only thing the Kdrill has on it lifetime sharpening. That’s it.
@@mikezietz8977 Fair, I hadn't tried it until a couple days ago when I heard the same from others. I do have the strike master liteflite, but I still think the kdrill is superior if you fish a lot of sandy ice. Kdrill might be overpriced now that there is competition, but they aren't obsolete is all I'm sayin'.
Grant H I’ll agree they have a place in the market. Yes if you fishy muddy sandy lakes/rivers the Kdrill is gonna hold up better. For me I can drill 3 times the holes on the same battery with the lite flite and to me that’s more important. I do a lot of hopping.
They never stoped making power augers
Yes, some companies such as Strikemaster has stopped selling them.
That Stikemaster wobble would piss me off
I just called Eskimo about getting a centering point for the 35500 8" auger (the new model 35600 now has the centering point)
After being on the phone for about 10 minutes while the rep checked on it, she wanted me to pay almost $100 so I could retrofit the 35500 with a centering point
(and I would also void my warranty if I chose to do so)
WORST CUSTOMER SUPPORT EVER! STAY CLEAR OF ESKIMO PRODUCTS!
You can google to see other guys that have cut their foot without a centering point.
Buy a K-drill.
I've heard an easy way to do this is a 1/4 x20 bolt ground to a sharp point.
If you are going to overlap holes, get a kdrill. Shaver blades will go dull and can get bent, just like if you hit timber. Chipper blades are tougher and take the abuse.
The pistol bit can be mounted on power head... look at Tom Boley youtube channel
Awesome video!
Eskimo is what I use I really like it
Eskimo struggles IMO redrilling old holes
Stay away from center points! Freezes up on super cold days ! Get a pistol bit with no center point or a NILS ! 🔥🔥🔥💪🏽💪🏽💪🏽
I don't think you have ever been to Arizona.
For the price point of both augers, why buy that?
You can make something similar to it, like taking a mora auger (in my opinion, it is the best hand auger for 50-60 dollars) and any adapter IF you already have a power drill. Just saying in my opinion.
Mostly the weight savings. That's the biggest advantage.
@@3RiversFishingAdventures very true, i cant stand 30 lb gas augers
The strikemaster adapter and so many others suck because there's just not enough engagement into the auger shaft. (Distance from the bolt hole to the end of the adapter). I welded an 1 1/4 long piece of 7/8 dom tubing over the hand auger adapter diameter. Now it doesn't wobble and come loose. Pretty stupid that you have to do that after give strikemaster $200 of hard earned money for there product. If you r reading strikemaster....... Fix it! The auger it's self is awesome. The adapter sucks. Junk. Period
As long as it drills a hole gives a f***.
A lot of people aren't impressed with kdrill
first comment woot!
Once again biased you always like the pistol better
he explained why.
Oh my god. Love U but STOP talking so much. Jesus. Toooooooo much chit chat.
or you could just stop watching, some people appreciate the details
You’re right. Sorry. Was in a get to the point mood but thx for the review. 👍🏻